The attempt to bomb the car bomb in September 2016 near Notre-Dame de Paris had the "objective" to make as many victims as possible, admitted Thursday in front of the special Assize Court of Paris the accused Ines Madani, who then had "no problem of conscience". This file is the first to be returned to the assizes among the wave of attacks and attempts of jihadist attacks, which have made 251 deaths in France since 2015.
On the night of September 3 to 4, 2016, with her co-accused Ornella Gilligmann, Ines Madani parked a Peugeot 607 filled with gas cylinders in a street in front of restaurants, where there were dozens of people. They tried to blow it up; only a bad fuel choice failed their plan.
"I did not have a problem of conscience"
"The night from Saturday to Sunday is special," said President Laurent Raviot. "Yes, for attendance," replied the accused. "So the goal was to make as many victims as possible?" Asked the magistrate. "Yes, that was the goal. (...) At that time, I had no problem of conscience," said the young woman who was then 19 years old.
Inès Madani entrusted Ornella Gilligmann throughout her interrogation. The two women had met on the internet three months earlier. Ines Madani was then considered a man, she called Abou Jounayb, whose Ornella Gilligmann fell in love. The latter believed that Ines Madani was the sister of Abu Jounayb. "At no time did Abu Jounayb order Ornella Gilligmann," said Ines Madani.
According to the latter, it was Ornella Gilligmann who took the initiative of the project and who organized it. "She said, 'I do not want to wait anymore, I want to do something very quickly,'" said Ines Madani. She speaks of a "whim", claims to have decided "in a week".
The confrontation between the two accused will take place Monday
Ines Madani has already been sentenced in April to eight years in prison for inciting jihad candidates to join Syria or to commit attacks in France and Belgium, between March 2015 and June 2016. She says it's her - Accused who sent the video claim to Rachid Kassim, propagandist of the Islamic State group. "For me, it was only the men who could claim by video," she said. "This is the kind of thing that requires agreement beforehand," said the president, who has questioned many times the version of Ines Madani.
In the box, three meters away, Ornella Gilligmann did not hide her exasperation and anger. The confrontation between the two accused, who incur life, will take place Monday.